Mr. Levin

I was buying cereal / On a Tuesday afternoon / You were standing by the tomatoes / In a blue shirt and old shoes / You looked at me for half a second / Then you said my name / I hadn't heard it said that way / Since I was sixteen / I said, How have you been? / You said, Look at you / Then you laughed like you'd discovered / Something I forgot was true / For ten seconds I was waiting / For the bell to tell me where to go / You asked what I've been doing / And I suddenly didn't know / Mr. Levin, don't look at me like that / I'm not seventeen / I don't have that awful haircut / And I don't live with my parents / Mr. Levin, you remember way too much / About the kid I used to be / I came here for some cereal / You turned me into me / You remembered my science project / The one that nearly caught a flame / You remembered I hated presentations / You remembered my middle name / I remembered failing algebra / You remembered I was late / You said, You always had good reasons / I said, I was terrible at excuses / Then you asked about my parents / Then you asked if I'm married / I looked down at the shopping cart / Like it might get me carried / For ten seconds I was waiting / For somebody to tell me off / Then you smiled and said, You're doing well / And somehow that was worse / Mr. Levin, don't look at me like that / I'm not seventeen / I don't have that awful haircut / And I don't live with my parents / Mr. Levin, you remember way too much / About the kid I used to be / I came here for some cereal / You turned me into me / You said, I always wondered / What became of you / I said, Mostly paperwork / And trying to get enough sleep / You laughed / I laughed / Then we stood beside the frozen food / Two people from different chapters / Trying to act like that's not strange / Then you said, Don't be late / And walked away / I nearly checked the time / Mr. Levin, don't look at me like that / I'm not seventeen / But for one minute in the supermarket / I was exactly who you see / Mr. Levin, you remember way too much / And maybe that's okay / I came here for some cereal / And left with yesterday / I forgot the cereal / I remembered the haircut / (You always hated that haircut) / I know